Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra, Volume Nine (The Twelve Links of Dependent Origination)

(4) Original text: 身行云何。谓身业。若欲界若色界。在下名福非福。在上名不动。语行云何。谓语业。余如前应知。意行云何。谓意业。若在欲界。名福非福。在上二界。唯名不动。

Explanation: What is bodily formation? Bodily formation refers to karmic actions performed through the body—either creating karmic actions of the desire realm, or creating karmic actions of the form realm. In the formless realm, bodily formations are not created, because the beings of the formless realm have no body. Who creates karmic actions through the body? It is the manas that causes the six consciousnesses to create karmic actions through the physical body. In the lower realm, the desire realm, meritorious formations (puṇyābhisaṃskāra) and non-meritorious formations (apuṇyābhisaṃskāra) are created; in the upper realm, the form realm, immovable formations are created, because beings in the form realm possess profound meditative concentration (dhyāna). Since the mind does not move amid sense objects, the body, being directed by the mind, also does not move, and thus no bodily formations are created. Who directs the body? The body is directed by the manas. When the manas does not move its mind, the mind consciousness does not move, the body consciousness does not move, and the body does not move.

What is verbal formation? Verbal formation refers to karmic actions performed through the mouth, that is, verbal actions. In the lower realm, the desire realm, the verbal formations created are called meritorious formations and non-meritorious formations; in the upper realm, the form realm, there is no movement and no creation. Because the minds of form-realm devas are pure and endowed fully with pure conduct (brahmacarya), their minds do not move amid sense objects; since the mouth is directed by the mind, the mouth does not move and there are no verbal formations. In the formless realm there are no verbal formations, because there is no body and no mouth. What is mental formation? Mental formation here refers to the karmic actions created by the mind consciousness. In the desire realm, the mind consciousness creates meritorious formations and non-meritorious formations; in the upper realms, the form realm and the formless realm, it creates immovable formations, because when the manas is pure and unmoving, the mind consciousness is pure and unmoving—the mind consciousness is directed by the manas.

Original text: 眼识云何。谓于当来依止眼根。了别色境识。所有福非福不动行所熏发种子识。及彼种子所生果识。如眼识如是。乃至意识。应知亦尔。由所依及境界所起了别差别。应知此于欲界具足六种。色界唯四。无色界唯一。受蕴云何。谓一切领纳种类。想蕴云何。谓一切了像种类。行蕴云何。谓一切心所造作意业种类。识蕴云何。谓一切了别种类。如是诸蕴。皆通三界。

Explanation: What is eye consciousness? Eye consciousness is the consciousness that relies on the eye faculty to discern forms as sense objects; it is the seed-consciousness that has been perfumed and deposited by all meritorious formations, non-meritorious formations, and immovable formations, as well as the retributive consciousness born from those deposited seeds. The eye consciousness is thus; and so too, down to the mind consciousness, it should be understood in the same way. Due to the differences in discernment arising from what is relied upon and the sense-object realms, it should be known that in the desire realm all six kinds are complete—form, sound, scent, taste, touch, and dharmas; in the form realm there are only four—form, sound, and touch; in the formless realm there is only one—the mental sense-object of meditative concentration.

What is the aggregate of feeling (vedanā)? The aggregate of feeling is the entire category of receiving and accepting dharmas—painful feeling, pleasant feeling, and neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling. What is the aggregate of perception (saṃjñā)? The aggregate of perception is the entire category of discerning the images of sense objects, that is, the discernment of the six consciousnesses; of course, the seventh consciousness also has the function of discernment. What is the aggregate of formations (saṃskāra)? The aggregate of formations is the entire category of mental karmic actions created by the mind-consciousnesses, that is, the mental factor of volition (cetanā) of the six consciousnesses; of course, the seventh consciousness also has the mental factor of volition and also has formations. What is the aggregate of consciousness (vijñāna)? The aggregate of consciousness is the entire category of discerning the dharmas of sense objects, that is, the discernment of the six consciousnesses; the seventh consciousness also has discernment. These aggregates of feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness all pervade the three realms and exist in all three realms, because in the desire realm, the form realm, and the formless realm there is the mind consciousness, and there is also the seventh consciousness; both consciousnesses have the functions of feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness.